Salt and Chocolate, A Dynamic Duo: Portland OR

Is salt this year’s chocolate? Or, vice-versa?

I’m not sure, but I don’t think it’s an either/or situation. And anyway, salt and chocolate are both always in style. And they seem to like to hang out together – not just at The Meadow, but also at Ruby Jewel, the very Portlandy, artisanal ice cream shop (which, by the way, is conveniently located next door to The Meadow on Mississippi Avenue).

All of Ruby Jewel’s flavors are fabulous, and sometimes down-right sophisticated (like the Lemon Cookie and Honey Lavender ice cream sandwich).

Oh but then...there's the Caramel with Salted Dark Chocolate. Wow! This flavor really takes sweet n’ salty to new heights. Hefty chunks of salted caramel are embedded throughout dreamy dark (but not bitter) chocolate ice cream. I highly recommend you enjoy this flavor in a freshly pressed waffle cone (also made on the premises). It’s the perfect crunchy delivery vehicle for this particular flavor. Don’t deny yourself this part of the experience, please!

Plain and simple, Ruby Jewel ice cream is a great dessert.

It’s great for dinner, too, if you catch my drift.

Ruby Jewel Scoop Shop
3713 North Mississippi Avenue,
Portland, OR 97227

The Meadow, A Foodie’s Field of Dreams: Portland OR

I belong to a supper club that gets together about once a month to prepare a meal. The host sets a theme and we all bring a dish. This time the theme was Spain, and because I’m the weakest cook in the bunch, I’m always in search of the perfect easy recipe. In this case, I made prawns with olive oil which called for some fancy-pants salt. Well, this just thrilled me because it gave me a reason to go to one of my all-time favorite stores in Portland, The Meadow.

The Meadow sells chocolate, wine, bitters, and is well-known for its expansive gourmet salt collection. You’ve just got to love a store that in a deep recession dares to sell only small fancy food items – and manages to not only survive – but thrive! But if you think about it … it makes perfect sense. I mean, as far as I’m concerned, these are the essential building blocks of “the good life”.

Beside enjoying the merchandise, you can also visit The Meadow solely for its aesthetics. Located on the ever-increasingly hip Mississippi Avenue, the tiny store feels like someplace you might happen upon while exploring the side streets of Paris. Let’s just say “charming” is an understatement.

Thank God places like The Meadow exist. It’s a foray into a world of luscious items you don’t really need ... but once you enter, you wonder how you ever lived without them.

The Meadow
3731 N. Mississippi Avenue

Portland, OR 97227